𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 | 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐎𝐂

Twenty Two.

After finishing my shift, i thanked Chase and Derek. My day was good. A few stuck up customers here and there but after all, i was in literal kooksvile...so there was no surprise there.

The sun was setting beautifully behind the trees, illuminating golden streaks of sunlight along the road i was currently walking across. Luckily it wasn't pitch black yet.

I enjoyed walking though. Always have. I felt it was a way to clear my head from whatever was going on at home.

So i didn't mind. Even if it was a little chilly. However, my jeans and small work top weren't doing much to help...

Running my hands up my forearms, i tried to brush away the goosebumps scattering my skin. All i wanted now was to be sat in my bed, with a cup of warm tea and my favourite show in the background...

I smiled at the thought.

"Fuck!" A man's voice shouted in the distance. I couldn't see who it was, or what was happening due to the sun beaming on my eyes.

My steps slowed wearily, getting closer to the commotion. As my hand went up to shield my eyes, i suddenly became aware of who the voice belonged to.

"Rafe?" I frowned.

"Fuck. Wha-" He spun on his heels, his words being cut of. He was stood next to his parked car. And i mean, i'm not a mechanic or anything but, his car was making noises i didn't think were very normal...

He hung his head, eyes on the ground muffling something i couldn't quite hear.

He finally looked back up at me. "What?" He practically barked.

I widened my eyes, taken back by his pissy tone.
"Chill." I held my hands up. "I was just walking home, didn't expect to see you."

"Yeah, well neither did i." His back faced me again, now flipping up the front bonnet on his car.

"Right...Your car-" I started.

"Yep. It's broken down, i know." He spoke like he was bored. Bored of the conversation.

"What's your problem? Why you being all bitchy with me?" I finally had enough of his snappy answers.

"I'm not being bitchy." He scoffed. "Sofia, can't you see in in the middle of something right now?" He was frantically shuffling with the parts in front of him, clearly trying to fix the broken vehicle.

I watched from afar, before suddenly getting an idea.

"Move." I stride up to where he was, barging him out the way slightly with my shoulder.

"What are you doing, it's clearly fucke-" The cars engine suddenly roared back to life.

He was speechless. Like fully. Never have i ever seen this man with nothing to say.

"How..." He trailed off, looking extremely out of it. Jeez, was it that impressive?

"My dad used to fix cars. He had a garage, i used to watch him do this sort of shit when i was younger." I casually spoke.

He turned to me, actually looking me properly in the eyes this time. "Shit...Thank you Sofia. Seriously, my dad was gonna' kill me." He huffed shaking his head.

"Your welcome." I replied walking straight back in the direction to my house. Yeah i fixed his car or whatever, but he was still being snappy with me. A little thank you wouldn't make me forgive him that fast.

"Wait, wait where you goin'?" I heard him scatter in my direction.

"Home?..." I replied with an obvious tone.

"Well, let me drive you at least." He grabbed my arm gently, turning me back in his direction.

"Oh, now you wanna be nice?" I deadpanned.

He brought his palms to the side of his face, clearly stressed. "I know, i- i know. I'm sorry. I was pissed off. I shouldn't of been like that."

I crossed my arms over my chest, staring him in the eyes; a signal for him to explain himself.

"My...uh, my dads kicked me out." He spoke quietly. I furrowed my brows. "He's done with me. Like, properly this time. I- i wasn't sure where to go, so-" His words were becoming rushed and panicked.

"Hey." I interpreted, my hands comfortably coming to rest on his face lightly. Anything to get him to calm down. I could tell he was getting flustered. "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it. Unless you want to." I frowned empathetically.

He shook his head in my hands. Rafe's always had a rusty relationship with his dad. I think it was due to his constant comparison to Sarah. She was the perfect child. Good grades, respectable, always doing what she was told. While Rafe... He tried. He really did. But whenever his attempts failed, his dad's disappointment came crashing down on him like a million bricks.

His face relaxed in my hands slightly. He then frowned. "Wait, aren't you still mad at m-"

"Shut up." I glared. "I'm trying to help."

He slowly smiled. "Yeah?" He replied. I nodded. "Well you are." His eyes burned into mine. "Just keep doing what you're doing." He smirked jokingly, my hands now automatically stopped themselves brushing my fingers through his hair.

"Fuck off, Rafe." I rolled my eyes, trying not to smile as i removed my hands from near him completely.

He laughed. "Joking." I smiled back. "Seriously. Thankyou." He spoke lowly. I was shocked at his sudden genuine vulnerability. If...you can call it that.

"It's whatever." I shrugged, trying to cover the part of me that was...moved by his words?

"Let's go. You're not walking." He nodded his head towards his now working car.

"You really don't have to, i'm only two minutes away no-"

"Sofia, get you're ass in this car. Now." He demanded, rolling his eyes.

"Sassy." I mumbled to myself, stepping foot into the now open car door. What a gentlemen.

~

Is this progress orrrrr...